


A perfect match

by starsonyourskin



Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Oral Sex, Protectiveness, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romantic Fluff, Scissoring, Shameless Smut, Smut, Smut is in the second chapter if you must know!, Tender Sex, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-07 23:25:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19095151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsonyourskin/pseuds/starsonyourskin
Summary: Anne feeds her mail-ordered hedgehogs before heading to Lightcliffe to find Ann in a stunning new gown.“You look very fetching in your top hat, I must say,” Ann said and smiled.“Oh, do I?” Anne responded playfully. “You can try it on if you like.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Changed the title from 'Hedgehogs, a top hat and a rose garden' to 'A perfect match'.

Anne was aware that everyone in Shibden Hall seemed to know but would never admit it, and here was Cordingley talking to Eugenie in half French, mostly English about her mistress’s exploits. Anne instinctively stopped to eavesdrop when she approached the kitchen. Cordingley’s loud voice echoed off the tiled floor into the hallway. 

“Je trouvé que Miss Lister is away plus much, I reckon. I wonder if that belle petite femme at Lightcliffe knows what she’s getting into, now. Although I do wish for Anne that she’d find someone who would settle her, you know? Avez I raconté vous about Mariana? Well, that’s a story and a midi.”

Eugenie made no reply, and from where she was standing, just in front of the kitchen door, Anne couldn’t see her face. 

“Mariana is a femme who has toujours tried to get in Miss Lister’s good graces.”

Anne decided that she had heard quite enough, and besides, she had business to get on with. It was silly enough to value what servants thought of her former lover, sillier to keep wasting her time by standing here. 

She barged into the kitchen. “Right, then Cordingley, can I have a bowl of milk.” It wasn’t a question. “And some gooseberries.”

Cordingley just stood there, hands frozen mid-air where she was drying off a plate. 

“Chop chop,” Anne said, looking about the kitchen to see if she could find it herself. “Haven’t got all day.”

“Yes Miss,” Cordingley said, obviously feeling embarrassed. She didn’t want to meet her mistress’s eye to see if she’d heard her gossiping. 

Once fetched, Anne walked to the back door and turned around: “Mariana could’ve taught you a few words of French, though, I’d say.” She didn’t stay to watch her reaction.

She took the milk and gooseberries and walked out to the place in the backroom where two hedgehogs were stationed in their straw-filled baskets that had been sent in the mail. The hedgehogs were rolled up into little balls of spikes and looked quite cosy. She contemplated for a second about how to get them out of their baskets without getting stung, and then decided to just place the milk and gooseberries near them, under the bedframe. The hedgehogs stayed where they were, all rolled up, unable to get out of their baskets, so she got on her hands and feet and felt her corset poke her ribs, and then lay flat on the floor to reach underneath the bed and tip the basket over. The bigger one of the two got the gist and starting drinking the milk. It stood on its two hind legs, quickly gulping the milk with its tongue. 

Curious creatures, she thought. Half rat, half something else entirely. Like that other piece of vermin, Mr Ainsworth, who had shamefully occupied more of her thoughts than she’d wished to, ever since Ann had told her about his fornicating, adulterous conduct towards her. It was because of this incident that Anne hoped tonight’s stay at Lightcliffe would not end in tears, again, after having spent several nights comforting her.

__________________

It was 11am, and Ann was meant to be getting dressed for the day ahead, but was sitting on her bed waiting for her maid to arrive. Anne was chiefly on her mind, and how dashing she looked in her top hat when she departed the morning before. Her redingote made her look especially handsome and her stomach fluttered when she thought about running her fingers across the lapel. It would be nice to make an effort for Anne, in the same way she had done for her. 

She walked to her wardrobe and ran her hand along the myriad of pastels and ochres, deep blues and vivid yellow she found there. Does she notice these things? Ann wondered. There was one dress in particular, a romantic orangey-red that she had been saving for a special occasion. It had big sleeves and lace frills across the top, and was particularly low cut to show a frilly chemise that she had bought especially for this dress, one with a lace trim and an eyelet pattern. She tugged it out of its wardrobe and smelled it to make sure it wasn’t musty, and draped it over the bed. It’d be perfect for the day ahead. 

When her maid arrived, she, without saying a word, raised her hands so her night dress could be taken off, and started the onerous process of putting on her stays, her petticoats, a corset, the chemise, the sleeve plumpers, and then finally, the gown. She instantly felt prettier when she turned this way and that to admire herself in the mirror. Hopefully Anne would notice the effort she’d went to.

“Can we do braids, today?” she asked her maid. “I want it braided and then looped into a crown. And I have a piece of jewellery I’d like to wear in my hair.”

Content, she sat back in the chair to have her hair braided. A turn of phrase was playing in her mind, over and over again. The way the ‘l’ rolled off Anne’s lips when she’d said it. The jolt of recognition when words were put to her private feelings. Yes, she thought. She was very much in love with Anne Lister.

__________________

“Hope you aren’t off again,” Marian protested when she passed her sister who was galloping up the stairs. “Aunt isn’t well, as you know, and would like a bit of company. I made myself available for the past four nights as you were off swanning about with Miss Walker,” she said, glaring at the top of the stairs where her sister had been a few seconds ago and had pivoted into her room.

“Well, Marian, I’m sure she’d be more than delighted to have you for a fifth,” came the muffled answer from her bedroom.

Marian stamped her feet up the stairs, hands in fists on the fabric of her dress. “You can’t be serious,” she said, facing Anne who was throwing things into a case with undue care. “You’re never here and I have to pick up the pieces!”

Anne threw a nightie into the case and then grabbed her sister’s jawline. “And you do it so well.” She released her sister’s jaw and called out: “Eugenie!” which made Marian flinch, and stepped into her aunt’s bedroom to say her goodbyes. 

__________________

Hovering anxiously, Ann couldn’t tear herself away from the window where Anne might be arriving any second now. They’d said 4pm now, hadn’t they? she thought. Oh, she did wish she’d write these things down so she wouldn’t have to second-guess them when the time drew near. And the dress, she hoped it wasn’t too much, too feminine, too ostentatious. Maybe she’d pushed her luck this time with her foolish sartorial choices. 

Were those the sounds of a galloping horse and carriage wheels she was hearing? Ann stopped breathing for a minute to listen better. No, it must’ve been the wind. 

Her books and watercolours had lost all their lustre and were strewn about in a semi-circle. She slumped against the window and willed time to go quicker. Life at Lightcliffe was awfully boring when you came to think of it. Visits from people she liked were rare, and so all the more treasured.

Now she was sure she was hearing horses out on the road leading to the estate. She jumped up with a fervour she didn’t know she possessed and positively squealed. It was taking all her willpower not to run outside to greet her. Sooner than expected she heard a knock at the door and that characteristic walk. 

“Anne!” she whisked her inside the sitting room, away from prying eyes and gave her a kiss on her cheek. She was always taller than expected, and so striking in all black.

“Now, my love, have you been keeping well since this morning? Hmm?” Anne asked while she pressed her fingers to Ann’s chin to make her look at her straight on. 

“Better than I thought, yes. It’s easier when I know you’ll be here for dinner,” Ann said, looking appreciatively at Anne’s distinctive face. “Where are your things?” she asked, a tad more anxiously than she wanted to.  
“Oh, they’ll be brought later. I walked here, it’s good for my constitution,” Anne responded. “And look at you, my gorgeous girl. What a dress you’re wearing!” She put her hand on the small of Ann’s back and took a step back to take in the sight of Ann all dressed up, with jewels in her hair and satin slippers on. 

Ann didn’t know what to do with the attention so smiled shyly and looked down. It felt so good to have someone notice her effort. “I thought maybe we could take a walk in the garden? Before sunset? It looks lovely out there.”

“That sounds like a marvellous idea,” Anne replied, pressing a kiss on top of Ann’s head. 

Once outside, Ann led her into the rose garden which smelled fragrant and luscious. It was a recent addition, this garden, and made a change from the topiary and clipped buxus that dominated the walled outdoor space.

“You look very fetching in your top hat, I must say,” Ann said and smiled. 

“Oh, do I?” Anne responded playfully. “You can try it on if you like.” She took it off and handed over her hat. 

Ann gamely accepted the challenge and perched it on top of her head and then pulled it down, giggling to herself. 

“You look absolutely adorable,” Anne said, trying to memorise a smiling Ann with the rose garden in the background, in her red dress with her frills and a top hat hiding most of her braids except for the ones peaking out round her ears. 

They sat on a bench under a pergola overgrown with climbing roses and Anne’s hand kept creeping up Ann’s thigh while they sat and talked. It had been years that Ann felt so content and satisfied. Life seemed a thousand times lighter. 

Finally they returned inside. Ann’s servant came towards them as soon as they’d closed the conservatory’s door. 

“You’ve received an urgent letter, Miss Walker. From Mr Ainsworth,” he said somewhat apologetically, leaving the small packet of paper on the table closest to them.

Ann’s heart jumped and she squeezed Anne’s hand to find reassurance, her eyes quickly filling with tears. “I don’t… can’t read it, Anne, you must understand. There’s no point. It will only upset me and nothing he says can make me reconsider.” Her eyes became more desperate while she searched Anne’s for understanding.

Anne’s protective instincts kicked in and she grabbed Ann’s arm. “Hmm, quite. We can leave it to the side for now, and return to it after dinner.”

“No, no, no, that won’t do. It’ll just haunt me, eat me up inside, rob me of all my words during our meal. Oh, why must he interfere so violently and why does it upset me so much? I’m not cut out to deal with this like you are,” she ended reproachfully, clutching her own arms with a ferociousness that showed her inner turmoil. 

“Hey, now.” Anne responded, stroking Ann’s back and trying to find her eyes. She moved to gain eye contact. “You mustn’t be so hard on yourself. This is upsetting to anyone. Do you hear me, darling?

Ann had tears streaming down her face and sank down to the floor. Anne crouched down with her. 

“What if I read it and told you whether it was worth seeing for yourself? It might be an apology.” She continued to stroke her hair and back while Ann tried to bite back tears for a reply.

“Yes,” she croaked. “But I don’t want to watch you read it.”

“Fine,” Anne replied decisively and used her nails to rip open the seal, and turned her back away from Ann, towards the fireplace. After a few seconds she said: “Well, you’ll be glad to know there’s absolutely nothing of value here.” She nearly crumpled up the paper out of anger. “Burn it?” She turned to see Ann’s response. 

Ann nodded and was still drying tears as they were falling. 

Anne dropped the letter into the fireplace and watched the edges catch fire and curl into black-rimmed waste. She helped Ann to her feet and drew her in for an embrace. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about, do you realise that? Absolutely nothing at all.” Ann nodded vaguely and nestled her face against the crook of Anne’s neck. 

“You’ll stay tonight, won’t you?” she asked softly. 

Anne smiled. “All night darling. All night.” She held her tightly at the waist and remembered the earrings she’d bought for Ann. A burnt amber, they would go perfectly with her dress. She reached into her pocket and said: “I have a little trinket for you to wear with this gorgeous dress.”

Ann looked so innocent, so surprised and flattered by her comment. Like a little girl on Christmas day. “Oh?” she said. “You really shouldn’t have — I adore the pin you gave me.”

“Well, hopefully you’ll love both.” She placed the box into Ann’s hand and watched with anticipation as she opened it. 

Ann’s eyes widened as she took in the piece of jewellery. “Oh, they’re beautiful. And you are right, they would go lovely with what I’m wearing.” She held up the stones to the light to look at their colour. 

“Hmm,” Ann said. “I must confess, I bought them because of the…” she ran her finger lightly over the exposed skin atop Ann’s chemise. “The colour this part of you flushes when I kiss you for a little too long,” she finished with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Perhaps we can see, tonight after dinner, if it’s a perfect match, hmm?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne shows Ann what a perfect match they are, in bed. 
> 
> Nothing but smut.

__________________

The sofa contained a sprawled-out Miss Walker, full and sated after dinner. Anne was caressing the bit of skin between the curve of her shoulder and her neck and pressed her lips against it. Ann smiled and playfully pushed her off.

“I feel like the servants are going to come in any minute with some urgent message about something or other I don’t want to know about,” she said, fidgeting with a tie on her waist. 

“Oh, they’re not blind, Ann. I’m sure they have working eyes and ears and have deduced what our little friendship is all about,” Anne said, persistently caressing the dip near her collarbones. “C’mere, let’s have a kiss.” 

She looked at Ann adoringly and moved from where she was sitting next to Ann towards her, slowly going in for a kiss without breaking eye contact. Her nose touched Ann’s and Ann could feel her breath on her lips and her hands on her thighs, moving in a rhythm, grasping the fabric there. Ann deepened the kiss and clasped her hands around her lover’s waist. 

Ann smiled against Anne’s lips. “I think I’d be more comfortable upstairs,” she whispered. 

Anne moved her thumb over the outer edge of Ann’s earlobe and saw the worry in her eyes. “Then let’s go,” she said. She grabbed Ann’s hand and exited the sitting room first, keeping an eye out for servants, then pulled her up the stairs with her until they reached Ann's bedroom. She closed the door and pushed Ann against it with her body. 

“You’re quite keen on me staying over, aren’t you?” she asked with a smile on her lips. 

Ann blushed and rested her head on Anne’s shoulder. “Yes. And you know why,” she said. 

Anne leaned in for another kiss and pressed her entire body against her. It felt, to Ann, like a delicious pressure building up, this full body contact that awakened all her senses and produced a dull pleasure inside of her. Anne nipped her neck and stayed there for a moment, pushing and licking the skin. All Ann could do was throw her head back and let herself be awash with the sensations of this moment. What if… what if she just let go a little tonight?

“Let’s get rid of all these layers between us…” Anne mumbled, and started by loosening the ties on the gown, and pulled it off. Ann responded in kind and tugged Anne’s shawl from her waistcoat. Ann’s petticoats pooled in a sea of white frills at their feet and was soon followed by Anne’s black dress. The corsets took a little more work, but the relief of unlacing them was almost as good as seeing Anne in just her chemise and drawers, suddenly so much more innocent, so much younger than her years. 

Finally, in their drawers, they lay down on the bed together and Anne drew her lover closer to sit on her lap. She said softly in her ear: “tell me… be completely candid. What did you like the most from our previous times in bed?”

Ann’s eyes widened and she looked a little shy. “Well,” she started, “I enjoyed the kissing and the… embracing and… being close to you.”

“Hmm,” Anne responded, and grabbed Ann’s hand. “And what brought you the most pleasure? Was it my hands or my mouth or being near you? You can tell me candidly, it’s all right.” She kissed her cheek and held her tightly. 

Ann took a deep breath and willed the words to come out. “All of it really… I can’t say I have a favourite. But I did wonder…” her words trailed off without resolution, and she was given an encouraging squeeze by Anne. “I don’t think that you’ve… gone inside me… and I’d want to know what that was like.” She looked down but wasn’t as embarrassed as she thought she’d be. 

“With my fingers?” Anne asked, and Ann nodded. 

“What else?”

Anne ignored that innocent question and suggested: “Well, we can do all of those things if you’d like,” and was met by a passionate kiss from her companion.

Taking it as a yes, Anne quickly reestablished the power dynamic. “Spread your legs.”

Nodding, Ann did as she was told and felt her nipples peak and a lot of throbbing between her legs.

Anne climbed down to the other end of the bed and ran her hands up the coarse fabric of her drawers and unbuttoned them, so close to where Ann wanted her. Her fingers ran down her thighs, squeezing the flesh there, cupping her through her drawers until finally she shimmied them down her thighs with a little help, sure she’d soaked through them. 

Then Anne was overcome, her breathing louder as she took in Ann’s nakedness, her hips undulating of their own accord.

Ann felt her roughly rubbing her clit and lost her breath for a moment. She pressed it like a button, her thumb swirling around the edges, and she couldn’t stop herself from pushing herself towards Anne with a soft moan. Her eyes rolled back in her head when Anne increased her tempo and established a rhythm. Moaning, she clutched at the sheets, lifting herself higher to her, Anne’s hands clutching her hip bones and pressing her back down.

“Mmm, that’s it,” Anne breathed and she felt a surge of wetness on her fingers. Ann wondered if she was dripping onto the sheets, if Anne had noticed her excessive arousal. She was so exposed to her. Anne’s fingering caused a tiny whimper to escape. 

“Oh, Ann,” she said. “Ann, Ann, Ann.” 

A short pause as Anne retreated, leaving her body wanting. Then Anne replaced her thumb with her index finger and started up even more ferociously. Ann mewled and told her not to stop, to keep going, go faster.   
Frustratingly, Anne slowed down and cupped her pussy with her whole hand, before moving up, over her taut stomach, her tits, to give her a kiss. 

“We’re just getting started, don’t worry, I’ll give you your due. But this makes it all the more intense,” she said to Ann, who was feeling the lack of activity on her clit acutely. 

Anne slid her leg over her lover’s so her wetness rested near her hipbone and gave a few rocking motions to test the waters. She moaned and curled her spine concave, head thrown back in pleasure. Then she changed tack entirely and stepped off the bed and dragged Ann’s body to the edge so that she could reach her more easily. 

Ann knew what was coming and moved closer to the edge for easier access. She grabbed a pillow to put underneath her head and felt herself grow deeply, desperately wet.

Softly, slowly, Anne licked her outer lips like she was getting melting ice cream off a cone. Her tongue caught Ann’s arousal. She patiently worked her way up and down without touching her opening or clit. Ann inhaled sharply and waited patiently for more to come, while being very aware that Anne was watching her every movement very closely, as attentive as she is. Anne’s nose nudged her clit while she worked on her perineum which made Ann lift her hips in surprise and then come back down again. It sent shocks of pleasure through Ann’s body every time her clit was touched, so Anne started drawing figure eights and circles on her with a pointed tongue. Realising Ann was getting increasingly desperate, Anne upped her game and licked her from clit to opening for a few strokes, which earned her some needy mewls. She sucked on her clit lightly at first, then lapped at her and alternated licking and sucking and before she knew it, Ann’s body was tensing and she was holding her breath to make herself come. 

“Lord,” Ann cried out. Pleasure was shooting all over her body and she wasn’t going to last. She felt her orgasm creep up from deep inside her and then it overtook her completely, surging through every part of her with an intensity she hadn’t experienced before. She thrashed on the sheets until the shockwaves subsided. 

Ann saw her lover look up at her with pride, her wetness smeared all over her lips, chin and nose. The look of self-possession and confidence just completely undid her. What a blessing to have a lover who so faithfully, skilfully showed her the secrets her body held. She wasn’t sure how to explain this to her, so she propped herself up and took Anne in her arms. 

Ann kissed her and tasted herself on Anne’s lips which made her feel so naughty and illicit, but she couldn’t help it and ran her hands all over Anne’s torso, feeling her breasts, her shoulders, her stomach. 

“Getting a taste for it, are you?” Anne teased.

“Stop it,” Ann replied, playfully swatting Anne’s hand away from her face. 

“Ah, not yet,” Anne said. “Let me do what you asked for.”

She rotated her lover and turned her over, then lay on her, full body contact. Ann felt her desire return — it was like it had been awakened after laying dormant, and an orgasm did not diminish it but merely interacted with it. It was a gorgeous feeling but she hoped that she would be fully sated at some point. Anne stroked her back with skilful fingers, kneading the flesh there, releasing the tension within her. Her hands started at her shoulders, then slipped downwards her spine to her lower back, then lower further to the top of her buttocks. She felt her spreading and kneading her cheeks and was briefly worried that she had misunderstood… until she proceeded to her arousal that was staining her thighs, then up to her opening. She slid one inside her pussy, knuckle deep, and curled her finger towards her front wall.

“Does this feel good?”

Good was an understatement. Sparks flowed through her languidly, and every time her front wall was pressed it increased without any effort of her own, like she was not in control of it. It had a different quality to it than before, it was deeper, touched her emotions, her inner body and she was completely swept up in it. Words were impossible and her eyes rolled back, she was panting and groaning to expend the energy this feeling created.

But an orgasm seemed completely out of reach. She just did not know where to go with it, how to build it up, how to get there. 

“You want more, don’t you?”

Anne slipped in a second finger and started up a more rapid tempo, just moving the pads of her fingers up and down that spot, again and again and again, pumping her fingers in and out mercilessly. 

Ann was completely blissed out and could do little more than sigh and breathe heavily. She felt a hint of stretch and fullness that was delicious. Anne added a third finger and it felt so, overwhelmingly good. She could feel an approaching precipice, a wall of pleasure that was coming towards her steadily, and she anticipated being thrown off it but instead the feeling deepened into more pleasure, more bliss, a deeper immersion.

“You’ve completely coated my hand, do you know that?” Anne whispered. She paused but Ann was too far gone to reply. “That’s a good girl.”

Her words had immediate effect. Ann groaned and move her hips towards her lover, tumbling over completely, totally gone and submerged in her own ectasy, bliss blazing through her on every level until she could not take it anymore, and then some. When she came down, aftershocks tingled pleasantly inside her womb.

“Wow,” she said, still face down in the pillow, too boneless to move. Then the tears seemed to flow up from out of nowhere, as if all the stored energy in her body was being released by this overwhelming renewal. 

“Ann? Ann, are you all right? Have I hurt you?” Anne’s words were insistent and worried. 

Anne turned over. “No, no, they’re good tears, I promise you. Happy tears,” she said. “I didn’t know it could feel this way. So good. So joyful.” Her voice sounds reedy and thin but her eyes were glittering.

Sighing, Anne embraced her lover and wiped her hand on the sheet. “I care for you deeply and want you to feel like you can tell me anything,” she said. 

“I know, and it’s true what I’m saying. I feel so much… lighter. Like a heavy burden has been released,” Ann said, playing with Anne’s fingers that were on her chest. She kissed her softly and snuggled further in Anne arms, and lay there for a minute. 

“Good,” Anne said, and moved to straddle her, quite impatiently. “All of this,” she gestured wildly to the rumpled bedsheets and Ann’s naked body, “has affected me a little,” she said, smiling. “May I?” she asked and moved her hips against Ann’s stomach to illustrate her request. 

Ann returned her smile. “Always,” she said, and Anne laced their legs together, moving one of her thighs underneath Ann’s so they could ride each other’s thighs in harmony. She felt how wet Anne was, her arousal clinging to Ann’s leg so close to her centre. Anne started undulating her hips, rotating, moving them up and down, and occasionally they brushed past each other’s clit which electrified her. Anne seemed close already, her hands at Ann’s breasts, moving the flesh there, thumbing her nipple. It was the most erotic thing to watch the pleasure that her body was giving Anne, course through her entire being as Anne increased her pace to chase her own orgasm. Their wetness intermingled entirely. Anne was entirely selfish now, and steadied herself with her hands either side of Ann’s shoulders so she could move more rapidly.

“Ohhhh,” she whimpered. “So close.”

Ann leaned forward and grabbed her lover so she could kiss her neck while she fucked herself into oblivion, which triggered Anne’s release. Anne shuddered and rode out the waves of her orgasm in stages until she was completely satisfied, then collapsed on Ann’s chest, who cuddled her. “I think it is a perfect match,” she whispered, before closing her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dynamics of writing a lesbian sex scene where both characters are named Ann(e) are a lot harder than I thought! Still, hope you enjoyed.


End file.
